At least 50 per cent of prescription medicines purchased over the internet are counterfeit, according to the Health Products Regulatory Authority. In 2012, some 500,000 pills or capsules were seized, increasing to 900,000 last year, an indication of the growing involvement of organised crime in the illicit drugs trade in the Republic.
Speaking at a recent Interpol conference, Assistant Garda Commissioner John O’Mahoney said that Irish people who had fallen ill and were struggling to pay for medicines were increasingly turning to the black market. Whether sourced in Ireland or bought from international websites, these drugs may contain a completely different chemical from the one advertised. When a lack of quality control in the manufacturing process and the possibility of adulteration with poisonous substances are added to the mix, the potential for harm to the consumer is significant.
Criminals who manufacture illicit pharmaceuticals have no regard for people’s health. There is evidence that drugs withdrawn from the market because of links to heart attack and stroke are being used to make tablets. Apart from these dangerous side-effects, the purchaser may not be getting the prescribed medicine in the correct dosage. Some drugs sold online are out-of date and are either too strong or too weak. Many are not safe to be prescribed with other medications. Incorrect drug labelling also puts patients at risk.
Common reasons for consumers to go online include obtaining slimming tablets and medication for anxiety. However some weight -control preparations are dangerous because they contain chemicals that increase heart rate and blood pressure. And benzodiazepines, a common treatment for anxiety, are highly addictive which is why legitimate prescriptions for these drugs are for short-term use only.
Although the confiscation of counterfeit drugs is important, the Government must ensure that people of limited means have full access to essential medicines. But the best defence against illicit drugs will always be: caveat emptor.